Charles graduated from Durand Illinois High School in 1949 and worked on his family farm. He was drafted into the United States Army and was trained at Fort Breckenridge in Kentucky. He didn't want to be a fighter, he wanted to be a farmer. He arrived in Korea in February 1953. On March 24, 1953, Charles was one of four men from Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, who was declared missing in action after engaging enemy forces north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on what came to be known as Pork Chop Hill. The bodies of two of the MIAs were recovered and a third MIA was returned alive during Operation Big Switch after having been captured by Chinese Communist Forces. Charles remained unaccounted for, and was eventually declared dead. When the news of his MIA status was learned by his family, a memorial service was held for him and a headstone was placed in the cemetery for him. In 1993, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) gave United Nations officials 33 boxes with human remains of alleged U.S. servicemen who were unaccounted for. The DPRK recovered the remains near Komsa-ri in Kangwon Province, which was near Long's last known location. Also included in one of the boxes were Long's social security and identification cards along with identification tags. Scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of the remains. On November 25, 2006, his family buried him with full military rites. His casket was draped in a United States flag with 48 stars, the amount of stars that were on the flag when he died. His survivors include his sister-in-law; nieces; nephew; several great-nieces and nephews; cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother and two infant sisters. (bio written by Sue)

Charles also is honored and remembered at the Honolulu Memorial in Hawaii where his name is listed on the Tablets of the Missing, now marked as recovered.

Charles graduated from Durand Illinois High School in 1949 and worked on his family farm. He was drafted into the United States Army and was trained at Fort Breckenridge in Kentucky. He didn't want to be a fighter, he wanted to be a farmer. He arrived in Korea in February 1953. On March 24, 1953, Charles was one of four men from Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, who was declared missing in action after engaging enemy forces north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on what came to be known as Pork Chop Hill. The bodies of two of the MIAs were recovered and a third MIA was returned alive during Operation Big Switch after having been captured by Chinese Communist Forces. Charles remained unaccounted for, and was eventually declared dead. When the news of his MIA status was learned by his family, a memorial service was held for him and a headstone was placed in the cemetery for him. In 1993, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) gave United Nations officials 33 boxes with human remains of alleged U.S. servicemen who were unaccounted for. The DPRK recovered the remains near Komsa-ri in Kangwon Province, which was near Long's last known location. Also included in one of the boxes were Long's social security and identification cards along with identification tags. Scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of the remains. On November 25, 2006, his family buried him with full military rites. His casket was draped in a United States flag with 48 stars, the amount of stars that were on the flag when he died. His survivors include his sister-in-law; nieces; nephew; several great-nieces and nephews; cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother and two infant sisters. (bio written by Sue)

Charles also is honored and remembered at the Honolulu Memorial in Hawaii where his name is listed on the Tablets of the Missing, now marked as recovered.

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